Paul Greengrass once told Empire that James Bond was "an Imperialist right-wing fuckface.” When asked to compare Bourne and Bond, Greengrass said: "I think James Bond is the secret agent who likes being a secret agent and likes killing people. He's a misogynist, an old-fashioned imperialist, and Jason Bourne is an outsider on the run and he's one of us and he's fighting against them, I think. That's the profound difference, and that's why I like Bourne."

But time has passed, and the Bourne helmer has mellowed his opinions on 007 of late, even turning up to the Skyfall world premiere and hosting a directorial Q&A with Sam Mendes. So Greengrass is not a big Bond lover, despite his chumminess with Mr. Mendes. But if you’re looking for a homegrown director who’s an action expert and more than familiar with telling a spy story, Greengrass could be your man. But unlike, say, J.J. Abrams (who was a Star Wars fanboy from the off), persuading the Bourne helmer to jump spy ships is going to be a very tricky one for the brave EON producer who decides to tap his shoulder.

David Yates?
If he wasn't attached to two projects at the moment? I personally felt he did a great job directing the remaining Harry Potter series. More

Posted by Evolved As One on Friday March 22, 2013, 11:14

2

Really?

Definitely NO to Tarantino or Bigalow or Greengrass. Why does it have to be someone new? Skyfall was good, but if you pick one of Daniel Craig's Bond movies as the best, it's still Casino Royale. Why not have Martin Campbell come back? He did an amazing job. This is just a silly debate. More

Posted by lizzygilly on Wednesday March 20, 2013, 19:17

3

Baffled by the strong support for Nolan -- his movies are action-packed, yes, but they are also cold, mechanical, humourless and, most importantly, sexless. Bond movies are about wit and romance as much as stunts and I don't think CN can bring those qualities to the table. Would love to see Paul McGuigan have a go. More

Posted by kgrant on Tuesday March 19, 2013, 15:15

4

Some other contenders.

David Fincher would be a really interesting choice if he was willing to helm it. His precision, aesthetic, his way with actors and his unmatched sense of pacing would certainly bring a new dynamism to the franchise. It's unlikely however since he often demands final cut and I doubt the production company would allow his somewhat controversial Kubrickian vision to develop uncensored for such a large franchise. Other people are Bryan Singer - a director who I think is genuinely talented but hasn't been offered the material of late to demonstrate this. Also (I know he's 'retired' but whatever) Steven Soderbergh. Gary Ross. Duncan Jones. Looking at this list I think Matthew Vaughn and Danny Boyle are particularly striking choices. QT and Nolan are a no no. Both (as much as I do love them) are far too self-indulgent as directors to tap into the spectacle of 007 as an 'event' for an audience. More

Posted by balmerm on Monday March 18, 2013, 00:23

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Tomas Alfredson could be interesting!

I feel that he would definitely make a great Bond film along the lines of From Russia With Love, set in Eastern Europe. He certainly gave us an excellent, more grim and realistic, spy thriller in the form of Tinker Tailor. Surely it would be a walk in the park for him? More

Posted by dannyfletch on Saturday March 16, 2013, 09:44

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What... no David Fincher?

I personally would love to see what Fincher would bring to the franchise. No doubt highly stylised, and a little more of the darker side of Bond would come to the fore. Nobody can argue that the GWTDT title sequence echoed Bonds' opening montages (albeit with an S&M twist). If I was a Broccoli, Finch would be the talent I would be tapping....
More

Posted by richardness on Friday March 15, 2013, 10:32

7

Think Matthew Vaughn would be perfect. He effectively proved to the world that Craig could be Bond with Layer Cake and would retain the 'classic' Bond feel that Skyfall evoked and has set up with the new M/Moneypenny (also as shown with the 60s-set X-Men: First Class). More

Posted by scruffylooking on Friday March 15, 2013, 10:13

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RE: Some Inspired Choices, But...

/i] but Guy Ritchie, basically. Mike Leigh, Ken Loach... Actually, I'd love to see what Ben Wheatly would do with Bond - an explosive climax at the Penrith Pencil Museum with 007 trapped in a giant wicker phallus. More

Posted by chris kilby on Thursday March 14, 2013, 14:19

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Some Inspired Choices, But...

Wot, no Nicholas Winding Refn?
(And if Duncan Jones did one maybe he could get his old man to play the villain - he was first choice to play Max Zorin in A View To A Kill, you know.) More

Posted by chris kilby on Thursday March 14, 2013, 14:11

10

What... no David Fincher?

I personally would love to see what Fincher would bring to the franchise. No doubt highly stylised, and a little more of the darker side of Bond would come to the fore. Nobody can argue that the GWTDT title sequence echoed Bonds' opening montages (albeit with an S&M twist). If I was a Broccoli, Finch would be the talent I would be tapping....
More

Posted by richardness on Thursday March 14, 2013, 12:30

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I'd like to see what Steven Spielberg would do with Bond, although he's losing that magic touch of his lately. There's a whole host of talented Brit technicians who should've worked on a Bond movie by now and haven't, like cinematographer John Mathieson (X-Men: First Class, Gladiator) and production Designer Nigel Phelps (Transformers 2 & 3, Judge Dredd). Stuart Baird has edited Casino Royale and Skyfall and he's directed movies like Executive Decision and Star Trek: Nemesis, he could be a good choice too. More

Definitely think Ben Affleck would be a great shout. Closely followed by Christopher Nolan and Kathryn Bigelow. An outside shout could be Gareth Evans director of the Raid. More

Posted by MarkMcW on Friday March 8, 2013, 23:31

14

Please no Guy Ritchie

It's just my opinion, but I hope he stays the fuck away from this. Or any project I'm excited about, for that matter. More

Posted by Mr Gittes on Friday March 8, 2013, 19:54

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Out of Left Field

I want to throw Chan-Wook Park into the mix. I think he has the potential to make an excellent "Bond" film. More

Posted by kurosawa3000 on Friday March 8, 2013, 16:25

16

As long as...

... no director previously associated with the Bourne franchise takes the helm, i'm ok with the list provided here by Empire. I don't want another Quantum of Solace with irritating shaky cams, you sea. So Roger Deankings is a must-have! More

Posted by M. on Friday March 8, 2013, 14:25

17

Whilst I don't think QT is right for the job, I think his feelings on Skyfall hit the mark.
I third Duncan Jones...Moon and Source Code were excellent character pieces, thoughtful and entertaining - Casino Royale had that, Skyfall did not (it almost blended with the 20 Bond inspired adverts that preceded the movie). More

Posted by sirvolkar on Friday March 8, 2013, 10:36

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RE: An alternative option

What about Ben Affleck? Nationality doesn't enter the equation; he's in the zone right now and I reckon he could knock Bond out of the park.
Chris Nolan and Kathryn Bigelow would be great choices, and Martin Campbell will always be a safe bet having already made two of the best Bonds.
There is a part of me that's wants to see a Tarantino Bond, but not enough to actually hope it happens. More

Posted by Whistler on Thursday March 7, 2013, 18:06

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An alternative option

What about Chan-wook Park.... Does great revenge movies great blend of tension and action. Haven't seen Stoker yet but based on reviews can clearly hold an English language film. More

Posted by mattywatson2392 on Thursday March 7, 2013, 15:51

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RE: Good list

Only one of those I think would be a good fit for Bond are Christopher Nolan, Matthew Vaughn and Kathryn Bigelow.
I love Tarantino, but why /i] would think he'd be able to make a decent Bond movie, I don't know... and he seems to have a history of trashing whatever the biggest movies of the time are (except for his own of course), so his comments on Skyfall don't surprise me.
Personally, I hope that Nolan is given the job. He might have to take a bit of a pay cut, but he's a huge fan, and I've heard he's always wanted to make one so that might not bother him as much. I'm pretty sure he'd be able to do something fantastic with Daniel Craig's version of the character, and his action sequences have been gradually improving with every action movie he directs... after Inception and The Dark Knight Rises, I'd say he's ready for Bond.
If not though, then I'd agree with the person who said to give the job to Martin Campbell again. Both GoldenEye and Casino Royale were ich he seemsMore